Pike down, but still leads herd in deer takes

Deer harvest numbers are up for the 2015-16 deer hunting season over last year, thanks in part to particularly good hunting conditions, according to Illinois Department of Natural Resources officials.

In total, 155,131 deer were harvested — up from 145,720 last year, according to a preliminary report released by the agency. Deer hunting seasons are closed as of Jan. 17.

“Most of the increase in harvest can be attributed to a successful firearm season,” said Chris Young, communications director for the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. “While there was snow in northern Illinois (on the) Friday night and Saturday of the first season, hunters enjoyed good conditions during much of the reason of the seven-day season.”

Pike County topped the charts again with 5,052 deer harvested, 2,211 of which were from firearm hunters and 2,142 of which were from archery kills. Fulton County came in second, with 4,375 harvested.

Even with the high numbers, Pike County saw a decrease over the 2014-15 seasons, when 5,168 were harvested.

Greene County had 1,903 deer harvested, a jump over last year’s 1,773. Scott County also saw a bump, with 677 harvested over 634 last year. Cass County saw an increase as well, with 1,405 harvested compared to 1,214 last year.

Brown County saw a significant gain in numbers, with a total of 2,259 harvested compared to 2,074 in the 2014-15 season. Morgan County ended with 1,350 harvested this year, up from 1,228 last year.

The number of deer that could be harvested in the coming season will be determined on a county-by-county basis derived from deer-vehicle accident data, Young said.

“IDNR biologists will examine the deer-vehicle accident rate data when it is available next summer and make determinations on the number of firearm permits issued for a particular county,” Young said. “Since biologists are managing around a goal, the numbers will fluctuate up and down but should stay fairly steady when goals are reached.”

Nick Draper can be reached at 217-245-6121, ext. 1223, or on Twitter @nick_draper.